Between Love and Hate
by anek
Summary: During the Bakumatsu, Kaoru witnessed her father being killed by the one known as Battousai. Years later, with only little memory of her past, Kaoru seeks to fulfill her dying mother's last words... Kenshin Himura ... K/K Rating may go up later
1. Prologue

BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE  
  
A/N: Hi! This story is a little A/U. Well, not really, it's still strongly based with the manga, but I've changed some stuff. Anyway, this first chapter is just sort of a prologue, it happens during the Bakumatsu and Kaoru's father is on the side of the Tokagawa, making him one of Kenshin's enemy. Kenshin doesn't meet Tomoe, and there's a different story about his cross-shaped scar.   
I don't know much about Japanese history, so I'll be happy to accept corrections and suggestions from all of you! Please review!  
Disclaimer: Let's see… someone else own RK… so I guess that means I don't own it! That's too bad…  
  
::: NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET:::  
  
"B-but Otousan!!!" the 6-yr old Kaoru complained when her father forcefully shoved her inside a small room hidden by folding screen.  
"Shhh… it will be alright my angel, someday, you'll understand…" her father soothed gently. Kaoru began to sob when she heard the anguish cries coming closer that ever. Her father's eyes widened in horror, and with one last loving look at his beloved daughter; he gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.  
"Are we playing hide-and-seek Otousan?" Kaoru asked hopefully. Somewhere in the back of her young mind, she knew the haunted cries of men and the smell of blood were not part of a game anymore.  
Her father only smoothed her hair lovingly.  
"No love… now, Otousan has to go. Remember, just live… just live…"  
"BUT OTOUSAN!!!" Kaoru screamed, but her voice was muffled as her father slammed the wooden door and barred it securely.  
"Father!!! I want to go with you! Don't leave me here! I want to go with you!" she banged her fists against wooden hidden door until her arms went numb.  
"It would be easier for both of us if you would just let me kill you without any struggle. I promise you it won't be painful."  
Kaoru stopped her futile efforts when she heard the voice… it was young, but cold - so cold.  
"You imperialists think you're the only ones who are right! We too fight for our own ideals! And I shall uphold those ideals with my honor even if it means my own death!"  
"Father…" Kaoru whispered when she recognized her father's voice.  
"Very well then, you leave me no choice," the young voice said without a trace of emotion.  
"Die Battousai!!!" her father's fierce battle cry shook the thick wooden walls. Kaoru sagged against the locked door. She had never heard her father sound so intense… and desperate.  
And then there was silence… only the haunting clank and hiss of sword swings remained. Kaoru could only close her eyes and pray.  
"You'll win father… I know you will…" she thought. She might not fully understand why her father was fighting, but in her heart, she believed in him.  
Hiss. Clank. Grunt. Thud.  
Kaoru's eyes flung open when she heard the soft thud on the wooden floor. She might be young… too young, but she knew one of the fighters had fallen, and there's no way her father could be beaten! She started to smile, but that same cold voice spoke again.  
"I told you not to struggle, it would have been quicker. But I shall hand it to you, you've managed to land one scratch on me."  
"No…" Kaoru whispered, desperately shaking her head.  
"NOOOOOOOO!!!" she shouted louder, banging the door once again with her small fists.  
The young girl gasped when she heard light footsteps heading towards the hidden door. She backed away just in time before the door was cut in two.   
And what she saw was something that would forever be engraved in her heart. A young boy stood before her, his crimson hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. His amber eyes glowed with coldness that sent shivers down Kaoru's little form. The sword he held left a trail of blood seeping through the wooden floor.  
In her innocence, Kaoru knew this man had done something terrible to her father. Without second thoughts, she pushed the young man out of the way and ran into the other room where her father's body lay lifeless amidst a pool of blood.  
"Otousan…" Kaoru sobbed, kneeling beside her father. She couldn't even say goodbye, for the Battousai had given him instant death.  
The young man stared as the girl sobbed. Warm liquid flowed from the cut on his left cheek, it was the cut the girl's father had given him. He wiped the blood with his sleeve, but more blood only continued to flow.  
"I won't forgive you!"  
The Battousai jerked his head towards the girl. Something in his heart froze seeing the hatred and anguish that burned in her blue-black eyes. Kiling women and children was something a cold-hearted Battousai still couldn't bring himself to do.  
Ignoring the young girl, he turned his back and started walking away.  
"I said I won't forgive you!!!" the girl shouted once more.   
"I understand," the Battousai answered back, there was no coldness in his voice now, only emptiness.  
"I-I won't forgive… forget…" the girl sobbed. Something in that voice made the Battousai briefly close in eyes in his own anguish and grief, grief over lost childhood, over lost innocence, but he had taken his own path. This girl didn't have a choice at all.  
Without turning back, the Battousai silently whispered. "I'm sorry…"  
The Battousai continued walking.  
"I SAID I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!!!" the girl's fierce battle cry echoed through the deathly silence of the night.  
The Battousai turned around just in time to see the raised sword aiming for his neck, but he had been too lost in his own turmoil that it was too late to completely dodge the attack. The tip of the sword brushed against his left cheek, over the wound the same sword had given him earlier.   
"Never forgive… never forget…" the young girl chanted, swinging the sword desperately at him. The Battousai couldn't help but admire the girl's spirit.  
"I'm sorry," he whispered again before bringing the hilt of his own sword against the girls stomach.  
The young girl bawled over and collapsed into his bloody arms.  
"So young and innocent," the Battousai observed, running a hand along the unconscious girl's cheek. He noticed the thick dark lashes that fanned on her creamy young cheeks, and her ebony hair neatly tied with a blue ribbon.  
Holding the girl securely on his chest, he carried her over bloody corpses of men, men he had slain with his own hands.  
"No… I don't expect you to forgive me… not at all," he said against the cold wind as he carried the small body against him into the dark of the night.  
  
  
  
:::::Ohagi Inn:::::  
  
"Mr. Himura! Katsura-sama had been looking for you," Okami, his landlady approached him, ignoring his bloodstained clothes and hands.   
The Battousai only nodded.  
Okami gasped when she noticed the small bundle the young Battousai held tightly against his chest.  
"A young girl!" the woman exclaimed, peering over the bloody sheets the unconscious girl was wrapped.  
Kenshin handed the girl to his landlady.  
"Take care of her, if you don't, you'll answer to me," he said and walked off.  
"N-nani?" the woman said startled.  
"You heard me," came the Battousai's final answer before he turned towards his room. Inside, he washed the blood that clung on his hands.  
Moments later, he heard a soft but forceful knock on his door. In an instant, the Battousai was up, sword ready in hand.  
"It's me, Katsura," came a strong voice.  
Kenshin sheathed his sword back and resumed his seat beside the window.  
"I have an important request to make," the man called Katsura began.  
Kenshin didn't answer but continued staring at the dark sky from his window.  
Katsura's eyes held back his regret and sorrow for destroying this boy's soul, but it was too late to turn back now.  
"I've trained another man to handle the assassinations from now on. His origins are unknown, but his skills are on par with yours. His name is Shishio Makoto."  
"I see…" Kenshin replied. "So I am being fired."  
"No, you must continue to wield your sword for us. I know it's cruel of me to ask you, but there is no one else I can think of. Tomorrow, we leave for battle, your first battle outside darkness."  
Kenshin continued to stare in the dark sky. Katsura stood by the doorway, waiting for his reply.  
Without taking his eyes off from the shining stars, Kenshin finally nodded.  
Katsura walked out of the room gratefully.  
Later that night, Kenshin silently opened the door that led to the room where the young girl had been kept. He found her sleeping in a worn out futon, amidst a few other women crammed in the narrow space. Her face and clothes had been cleaned. Her dark hair a deep contrast to the white sheets. Her eyes were closed, but under the serene moonlight, Kenshin could see traces of dried tears on her cheeks.  
The Battousai watched her even breathing in silence and brushed a stray strand of ebony hair away from her closed eyes. With one last look at the girl sleeping so peacefully, he bent over and picked up the blue ribbon lying on the side of her futon.  
"We shall meet again," he whispered, tucking the blue ribbon under his sleeve.  
He walked out of the door, but before he could close it, the girl's whimper followed him.  
"N-never forgive… never forget…" the girl mumbled on her sleep.  
The Battousai fingered the wounds on his left cheek before silently closing the door.  
Come morning, he was gone.  
  
  
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A/n. Ok, there's the first chapter. I don't know if you like it or not, but either way, I'd appreciate reviews please. Also, can you spare time and check out my other fic, "Fall of the Battousai"? It's nothing serious… but if you have time, then please…  
-- ja!  
~~spawnie 


	2. Amber Eyes

Kami! She updates! It's been a while since I wrote the first chap of this fic, so here's the second chapter, or effectively, the first chapter coz the one before was just a prologue.   
Anyway, I really don't have anything to say much, except, please read and review!  
  
Disclaimer: yada yada yada… you know what I mean.  
  
  
  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
:::::AMBER EYES:::::  
  
He always played with a spinning top when he was a kid -- for it was the only toy he ever had.  
  
But every boy has to stop playing.  
  
He grew up, and his toy was no longer a spinning top, but a sword.  
  
And his playground became a pool of blood.  
  
"Kenshin-sama…" a feminine voice called out.  
  
Kenshin opened his eyes and leaned back on the window sill. He always liked sitting by the window, looking up to the stars at night. Stars… they looked like gems glinting in a sea of tar at night, reminding him of innocence once lost in an ocean of sins. And an ocean it was, one that he was drowning in.  
  
A spinning top, he repeated on his thoughts. His master once told him how life was very much like a spinning top, you spin it hard, you spin it slow, either way, it would always stop spinning at one point. I wonder, Kenshin thought, when would mine stop?  
  
"Kenshin-sama," the feminine voice repeated.  
  
Kenshin stood up and walked over to the large bed where a feminine figure had been wrapped in a bundle of silken sheets.   
  
"What is it, Aiko?" he asked, sitting himself on the edge of the bed.  
  
The girl named Aiko didn't reply, but instead, sat up and wrapped her arms around the red-headed man. Her hand snaked up to where his robe had parted on his chest.  
  
But Kenshin caught the wandering hand before it got too far.  
  
"I'm very tired. I will sleep," he said with a final note.  
  
The girl withdrew her hand, her luscious mouth forming into an uncharacteristic frown before sulking back under the sheets.  
  
Kenshin paid no heed for the girl's disappointment. He laid on the bed and closed his eyes as soon as his head touched the pillow.  
  
With his life as pointless as it is now, his spinning top would stop spinning soon enough.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Auntie Kaoru, there's a man looking for you outside," Ayame announced. Kaoru stopped washing the dishes and looked down at the young girl gently tugging at her kimono.  
  
"Yeah! The guy with big beard from yesterday!" Suzume seconded. After delivering their message, both girls ran away chasing each other, their laughter echoing in the deserted hallways.  
  
Kaoru sighed. How nice it would be to be a child again and not worry about anything. She dried her hands with her faded kimono and headed for the front door. So that Gohei guy is back again, Kaoru thought bitterly. She'd like to give that bastard a piece of her mind.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Kaoru lifted her chin and stepped out, determined to fend off that goon once and for all.  
  
"So, have you decided yet?" Gohei's voice boomed.   
  
Kaoru heaved a dismissive sigh as if talking to this giant of a man was no more than a waste of her time.  
  
"I've told you before, Gohei, I have no intention of selling this place. Now, why don't you just leave me be? I'm sure there are many other holdings that you can buy."  
  
Gohei laughed. "This place suits my needs perfectly. I'm sure it would be to both our benefit if you would just sell this run-down inn to me."  
  
Kaoru snorted. "This place would suit your needs perfectly? Oh, let me guess, a headquarter for your yakuza goons, right?"  
  
"What I do with this place after I buy it is none of your concern," Gohei replied darkly.  
  
"My late mother kept the Ohagi inn a respectable place, and I'm determined to keep it that way," Kaoru said firmly.  
  
Gohei's expression darkened. "You're making me lose my patience, little girl," the large man threatened, his hand fingering the hilt of the wooden sword on his waist.  
  
Kaoru's eyes narrowed. The sword strapped on Gohei's waist might look like a wooden sword, but for a guy like Gohei, there's no doubt there would be a Japanese sword hidden beneath.  
  
"I'm not afraid of you!" Kaoru shouted, making a dash for a broom that was leaning against the wall. She took a fighting stance, broom in hand. Gohei and his men laughed. At another time, Kaoru would have thought the situation was quite laughable, but for now, there was nothing else she could use as a weapon.  
  
"How pitiful," Gohei mocked, but I won't waste my time fighting a boring fight with a loudmouthed girl. The large man then nodded to one of his men.  
  
Kaoru gasped. Two men stepped forward, holding a sobbing Ayame and a crying Suzume.  
  
"You bastards!" Kaoru raged.  
  
Gohei only laughed. "See, you shouldn't have let me lost my patience."  
  
"That's playing dirty, Gohei," Kaoru gritted out.  
  
"So, have you decided yet?" Gohei asked, grinning like a madman.  
  
"You won't get away with this," she hissed.  
  
But Gohei only chuckled. "Oh? I can forge a deed with no problem at all, thanks to some underground connections that I have. And don't even think about telling the police, or these two little girls here are gonna get big booboos."  
  
Kaoru could only clench the broom handle and glare.  
  
"I'll take it that it's a yes then," Gohei concluded. "Very well, I'll expect you to move out by tomorrow. If you hadn't been so stubborn, I would have been generous and given you a little payment, but you made me lose my patience, little girlie, so you brought this upon yourself." With that, Gohei walked away with his men, leaving behind nothing but their greedy laughter.  
  
Kaoru ran to where the two girls huddled together in the dust, sobbing. At least they hadn't taken Ayame and Suzume with them.  
  
"Auntie Kaoru…" the girls sobbed.  
  
"I'll walk you over to Dr. Gensai's clinic now, Ayame, Susume," Kaoru managed between tears of relief.  
  
"But Auntie Kaoru, what if those bad guys come back?" Ayame asked.  
  
Kaoru gave a little smile. "No, they won't come back today, Ayame, everything is alright, don't worry about anything. Everything is alright," but in her heart, she knew, everything is far from alright.  
  
Kaoru walked silently, keeping the girls as close to her as possible. Her mother had died a few months before, and after that, everyone just left, even workers at the inn. Maybe this was all her fault after all. Nothing like this would have happened if Okami was still alive. Her memory might be vague, but she had flashbacks and dreams of a certain dark night where the smell of blood filled the air and agonizing screams floated like a sickening singsong… and most of all, she remembered… amber eyes. What they all meant she couldn't quite grasp. Maybe they were just dreams after all, and Okami really is her real mother, but still she couldn't help but have a feeling, that she had had a different life before.  
Her thoughts went back to Gohei and his men. What was she to do? Then the answer came, there's only one thing to do…  
Kenshin Himura.  
Her mother had spoken that name just before she died, Kaoru recalled, but her health had been too feeble to say anything more, save for a few incomprehensible words that didn't make any sense to Kaoru's grieving mind at all.   
"T-tried… e-everything… y-you forget… p-past…" her mother had gasped between labored breaths. Kaoru had tried to tell her dying mother not to talk anymore, that her efforts were straining her even more, but Okami wouldn't listen.  
"K-Kenshin… H-Himura… f-find… him…" those were her dying mother's last words, although at the time, she had been so beside herself with grief and sorrow that she didn't bother to understand what her words meant, but now, this man, Kenshin Himura… perhaps her mother was trying to tell her something?  
  
  
::::  
  
Kenshin walked forcefully down the corridor, his untied crimson hair floating on his back like a curtain of blood, his amber eyes had a glint that froze even the bravest of men, and melted the knees of countless ladies into jellies. Men who serve the mansion bowed their heads as he walked, their eyes held utter respect and admiration, while the ladies giggled as he passed.  
Kenshin Himura, Lord of the Meiji Imperial Army might seem to have it all, but no… he didn't like his life at all. The only reason he continued to live was because he hadn't lost hope yet, that someday, he might find a way to atone for all the sins he had committed in the past. And here he was, being awed and hailed for the lives he had taken. The world sure is an ironic place.   
After the Bakumatsu, he had been ready, ready to give his life up for the sake of repentance, to wander around Japan to save lives, and forget that he was once the most feared assassin in the land. But it would seem, that the world wasn't ready to give his life back. Yamagata fell fatally ill, and Kenshin was forced to take his place as head of the Imperial Army. Back then, he had agreed, in hopes that he might be able to save more people that way, than just a wandering swordsman… how wrong he had been. True, with a man as influential as he is now, he had successfully prevented corruption in the Meiji government. All the men and women who serve his mansion were all people he had saved from poverty, from cruelty, and what not. But no matter how many people he saved, and no matter how much effort he put into keeping the Meiji as immaculate as can be, the guilt in his heart never stopped gnawing.  
How could a man as sinful as he is, deserve living such a high life?  
  
::::  
  
Kaoru stood in front of the mansion and breathed in awe. It was huge! The house still resembled some of the traditional Japanese architecture, but there was a touch of western gothic art about it, and Kaoru just couldn't help but admire the mansion in it's glory. Finding the man named Kenshin Himura was no problem at all, after all, she never expected him to turn out to be the Lord of the Imperial Army, for Kami's sake! She still wondered why she didn't know that before hand, maybe she should keep up with current events more often.   
Kaoru took one stop forward, but then hesitated. The name Kenshin Himura might not be a common name at all, but still, her mother couldn't have known such a high ranking man, could she? Perhaps her mother was talking about a different man? And even if this was indeed the right place, there's no way a man of his status would remember her mother, and she didn't even know for sure if her mother knew this man or not. Kaoru started to withdraw… this was too embarrassing, really, asking help from a total stranger? And not just some common stranger at that. But still, his name was her mother's last spoken words, she should at least try.  
Taking a deep breath, she walked forward.  
Kenshin Himura… she thought. What kind of man is he?  
  
  
  
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A/N: As you might have guessed, yup, Kenshin never became a wanderer in this fic. Heheh, I think he's just drop-dead-sexy in the Battousai mode. Although, Kenshin just wouldn't be Kenshin without 'oro' and 'de gozaru' ne? So don't worry, if you are more like the rurouni mode fan, he will lighten up his mood a little bit in later chaps. Anyway, I still love Kenshin, rurouni or battousai, either way. Please review! 


	3. Fated Meeting

I'm back! Thanks for the reviews! A few notes first, thanks to Jason M. Lee for the suggestions and comments. I've watched more episodes in English than I did with Japanese (Because I like Kenshin's voice in English better than in Japanese), and they do say THE Battousai, and Auntie Kaoru in English, but I appreciate your comments.  
  
And Nim, don't worry, I think we have the same opinion on heroines, afterall, my favorite anime heroine ever is that kick-@$$ sorceress Lina Inverse from Slayers, and she's probably the feistiest as heroines go, ne?  
  
Disclaimer: Why do I even bother with this, nobody even reads them! But don't wanna be sued, so…. I don't own RK blah blah blah.  
  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
  
:::::FATED MEETING:::::  
  
  
Kaoru gingerly approached the gate. A few men in uniforms were standing guard at the entrance. They didn't look too menacing, but Kaoru still hesitated. What was she supposed to say? Just say 'Hey, I'd like to talk to the Lord of Imperial Army coz my dead mother told me so'. That doesn't sound quite right.  
  
Just as she was about to clear her throat to speak, a distant rumbling of wheels was heard. The guards moved quickly to open the gate and an elegant carriage whist past.  
  
Kaoru stepped back and waited until the cloud of dust the carriage left behind settled on the ground. The guards closed the gate again. Apparently, they haven't noticed her yet.  
  
"Excuse me," she began.   
  
One of the uniformed men turned, but before she could open her mouth to speak again, the guard nodded and opened a smaller portion of the gate and motioned for her to come in.  
  
Kaoru blinked, then shrugged. If she didn't have to explain why she was here, then that would be for the better.  
  
Stepping over the threshold, Kaoru walked towards the mansion, which was only a short distance from the gates. Once again, the feeling of being so small amidst such a huge place came back, but she shrugged it off confidently. She would just ask this Kenshin Himura if he knew her mother, if he says no, then she's out. It's that simple, she reassured herself.  
  
Approaching the house, she noticed a man standing on the front door with a rather stiff posture. Kaoru sighed. Rich people sure are pretty weird.  
  
"May I help you?" the man asked in a rather formal voice.  
  
"I-I would like to speak to Mr. Kenshin Himura please," she blurted out.  
  
The man frowned slightly at her casually mentioning his master's name without proper address, but then his expression quickly went back to a stoic mask.  
  
"This way please," the man answered politely, opening the double doors and motioning for her to come in.  
  
Kaoru stepped in and found herself standing before a huge, dome-like main hall. Breathing in awe, Kaoru allowed her eyes to roam over the large hall. The house had been impressive from outside, but it's absolutely breathtaking from inside! The walls and furniture were still decorated with intricate Japanese designs, but the whole structure was definitely westernized, from the painted wooden doors to the large staircase that snaked against one wall leading to what seemed to be a second floor.  
  
Resilient footsteps interrupted Kaoru's thoughts. She turned to see a tall and beautiful raven-haired woman.   
  
"I heard you wanted to speak to Ken-san," the woman inquired.  
  
Kaoru knitted her brows slightly in confusion. "Ken-san?"  
  
The woman laughed, it was a hearty laughter that filled even the vast main hall.  
  
"Oh, I meant Himura-sama, I call him Ken-san," the woman explained.  
  
"Oh…" Kaoru mouthed, nodding her head slowly, but confusion was still written all over her features. Could this woman be his… wife?  
  
As if reading Kaoru's thoughts, the woman laughed again.  
  
"I'm Megumi Takani. I'm only a doctor in this mansion, although I wouldn't complain if I'd be more important to Ken-san than that," Megumi explained with a slight giggle and a blush. Then, as if realizing she had said a little too much, she waived her hand lightly.  
  
Kaoru smiled. "I'm Kaoru Yamakawa, and yes, I do have something to speak with Mr. Himura."  
  
"Ken-san just stepped out a moment ago, and I don't know when he will be back," Megumi answered. "You can wait here if you want," she added with a slight smile.  
  
"I see, he must be on that carriage I saw earlier."  
  
Out of habit, Megumi tossed her dark hair over her slender shoulders. "Well, if that's the case, let me give you a little tour of the house. I'm not doing anything, and with a place as big as this, it's easy to die of boredom."  
  
Nodding slightly, Kaoru fell in step beside Megumi.   
  
"The guards are rather nice, they let me in without any questions," Kaoru began, hoping to start a friendly conversation.  
  
Megumi looked at her briefly and laughed. "I guess you could say they are used to it. You see, Ken-san might not look like it, but he's a very generous man. It's almost a daily occurrence for someone to come in and ask for all kinds of help, although they don't dare speak to Ken-san directly."  
  
Kaoru almost face faulted. "N-nani? So that guard thought I was here begging for help? Grrr! I'd like to punch his lights out!" Kaoru raged, then sobered immediately. "What do you mean they don't dare talk to him? Is he THAT scary?"  
  
Megumi gave a slight shrug. "I guess you could say Ken-san is not very… friendly, I suppose."  
  
"Oh," was all Kaoru could say. Not very friendly, eh?   
They walked in silence for the rest of the hallway, passing through a number of doors. Not too far down, a door was ajar, and inside, a rather shrill voice was heard.   
  
Curiously, Kaoru cocked her head towards the direction, but Megumi walked forcefully, apparently recognizing the owner of the voice.  
Catching up with Megumi, Kaoru could make out what the voice was saying.  
  
"Hurry up with that! All of you are useless! You over there, take this to the laundry room. I want this cleaned within an hour!" the voice, apparently, that of a young woman's, demanded.  
  
Megumi threw the door open and stepped slightly aside, allowing Kaoru to peer inside where a young girl about her age was standing in the middle of a room, her hands resting firmly on her hips. The girl was very pretty, with large brown eyes, her dark hair flowing past her shoulders, framing her delicate features.  
  
"What's going in here, Aiko?" Megumi demanded, the girl whisked around and faced the dark haired doctor.  
  
"I don't have to tell you that!" the girl called Aiko snapped.   
  
Kaoru gritted her teeth. If she wasn't just a guest in this household, she would have slapped the girl straight to Kobei by now.  
  
Megumi settled her hands on her hips as well and assumed an air of authority, and she did have an authority, Kaoru suspected, for the girl called Aiko only glared and stomped out of the room.  
  
Megumi sighed after the girl was gone, and nodded to the other workers on the room, who were rather grateful.  
  
They stepped out and once again walked in companionable silence.  
  
Suddenly, Megumi snorted. "Just because she managed to seduce Ken-san, she thinks she's the queen."  
  
Kaoru almost choked. "S-seduce?"  
  
Megumi sighed. "More like Ken-san got tired of her stalking him and just gave in to silence the little b*tch."  
  
Kaoru laughed. "But it looks like she's not up to going against you," she pointed out.  
  
Megumi grinned. "Well, I'm rather proud that Ken-san trusts me the most out of everyone else here."  
  
Kaoru nodded. That does seem to be the case.  
  
Not too long after, another scream was heard. Kaoru shook her head. Apparently, the rumors about big mansions with eerie silence doesn't seem to hold true for this one.  
But this time, there was also that same rumbling of wheels she had heard before.  
  
Megumi brightened. "That must be Ken-san."  
  
The lady doctor then turned around and traced the path from whence they came.  
  
Just as they entered the main hall, a few men wearing uniforms came in. Judging from their uniforms, they were apparently police swordsmen. Kaoru squinted her eyes. Surely, she would recognize the Head of the Imperial Army at first glance, right?  
  
The screaming became louder as another man came into the hall. He was smaller in stature than the others, but there was a quiet strength around him that Kaoru couldn't quite put her finger into. He didn't wear the same uniform like the other men, but instead, he wore a dark blue gi tucked inside a pair of dark trousers. He also sported a pair of boots, although the color of which she couldn't quite guess because of his current state. His unbound hair was flame red, although there were dark smudges of… mud!  
  
And then she understood why his attire was overall dark, and the screaming… he effortlessly carried a boy no older than 10 years. The boy was covered in mud, and was struggling to his heart's content, sending patches of mud all over the place, and the man carrying him.  
  
"Let me go! I don't need any help from you!" the boy shouted. The man carrying him didn't even utter a single word, but continued to walk into the hall.  
  
The young boy continued to kick and holler, and at last, managing to twist from the man's grasp on his yukata, he planted a kick smack on the man's abdomen. The red-haired man was by no means affected by the kick, but he dropped the boy rather harshly on the floor and stood menacingly over him.   
  
This man might not be a giant like Gohei, Kaoru thought, but the word 'danger' is just simply written all over him. Kaoru couldn't see much of his features behind the smudges of mud, but she could barely make out the glint of his eyes beneath feathery crimson bangs… amber eyes.  
  
Kaoru stood watching, almost frozen. Amber eyes… why did it make her blood turn cold all of a sudden? It was as if she had seen those eyes before…  
  
But there was no time to think about that now, for before she could regain her composure, the man had drawn out his sword and was holding it over the now frightened boy, ready to strike.  
  
And there was no time to be frightened either. Almost by reflex, she had thrown herself between the man and the boy before she could understand what she was doing.  
  
"You're in the way," the man stated calmly in a low voice… cold and emotionless.  
  
Gathering her courage, Kaoru lifted her chin up. "What are you doing?! Murdering a child in cold blood! You're a devil! Monster!" Kaoru shouted, her rage was so intense now that she didn't notice that all the people in the hall had fallen silent and were staring at her in shock.  
  
"I am not going to kill him," the cold voice spoke again.  
Kaoru clenched her fists. "I see. So just frighten him, huh? Well that's just as cold hearted!" she screeched.  
  
"No," came the short answer, as the sword was slowly lowered.  
  
By then, the servants of the mansion had slowly retreated, fearful for the fate of the girl who had stood so defiantly against their master.  
  
Kaoru closed her eyes, waiting for the blow to come… but it never came.  
  
She cracked one eye open, and then widened both her eyes in surprise. The tip of the sword grazed against the boy's wrists, and then slid to cut the heavy ropes that bound them.  
  
Kaoru fell on her rear, in relief, or shame for her outburst, she wasn't quite sure.  
  
The man then just as calmly sheathed his sword and motioned for one of the girls who were eagerly waiting for his orders.  
  
"Take care of the boy," were the curt instructions.  
  
"Hai!" the girl answered readily.  
  
Kaoru still felt weak. All that fear must have drained her energy, and all for naught! Waiting for her heartbeat to calm down, she felt something squirm under her.  
  
"Get off me, ugly!" Kaoru sprung to her feet faster than the eye could blink.  
  
"What did you call me?!" she demanded, baring some rather uncharacteristic fangs.  
  
"I said UGLY!" the boy shouted back, making a face.  
Kaoru grabbed the boy by his yukata.  
  
"You ungrateful brat! I just saved your hide from being sliced to pieces if you must know!"  
  
"And who said I wanted your help! I'm Yahiko Miyojin from a long line of Samurai and I could have beaten that guy up without your help! You ugly raccoon girl! "  
  
"What did you call me?!"  
  
"You heard me! Racoon!"  
Kaoru, noticing that her kimono was now covered in mud as well, courtesy of the damn brat of course, rolled her sleeves up.  
  
"YAHIKO!!!"  
  
And thus began the chase around the hall… and around rather stunned (and shocked) servants.  
  
Kenshin stood halfway on the stairs and watched as the two chase each other down the hall…  
  
Gazing up, Megumi watched her dear Ken-san intently… was it just the light? Or did his eyes flicker briefly into violet?  
  
  
  
  
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A/N: Ok, I think this chapter was a bit longer than the other two, so I don't' know, maybe I'll just take a little time off coz I've got so many homework to do. I'll try to find time to write the next one soon, though. I mean, I'd like to make the chapters as long as you like, but unfortunately, I don't have that much time in hand.   
  
Anyway, I'm planning on inserting a little Sano/Megumi bias here too, although I've yet to introduce Sano, maybe on the next chap.  
  
And about Kaoru's last name here, I made it up coz I really don't know Okami's last name, if you know it (or if there's one) please let me know. But she will be Kaoru Kamiya once she remembers her past though, so don't worry.   
  
And yeah, I know, I've got a lot to explain about this chap, but let's leave those for the next.  
ALSO, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! You know how reviews can make an author happy, so please make me happy. It's just a click away, after all. 


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